Dryland Pastoral Systems in Transition: What are the Options for Institutional Change in Uzbekistan?

Within the last two decades, 40% of rangelands in Uzbekistan have been taken out of use due to non-functioning water facilities and pasture degradation. A retrospective study of rangeland production system development in the former Soviet Union (FSU) shows that the pasture land was used more productively, socio-economic benefits were created in rural areas, and land degradation was effectively addressed. Considering that pasture lands are a common-pool resource, which – following the current discourse – might be best used by local communities, the question arises as to how the highly centralized Soviet system was able to achieve a very productive use. The historical analysis presented in this paper shows that this was achieved by means of (a) making intensive use of agricultural research on the one hand, and (b) setting-up an effective institutional structure, on the other. This paper aims at highlighting the role of agricultural research as well as institutional mechanism that allowed Soviets to manage common-pool resources productively, taking into account the political incentives to make such a system work. The paper also asks the question why lessons from the past were not derived to move the current transition reforms for the pastoral system in a direction that allows for a sustainable and productive use of this system. To better understand the current trends of change in dryland pastoral systems in a broader context of institutional reform, the current transition reforms and potential institutional options are discussed from a political economy perspective. Based on this approach, alternative options are derived for the further development of the rangeland production systems.